Cessna 182N accident near Big Creek, Idaho, July 26, 2008
On July 26, 2008 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182N, registered N92767, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Big Creek, Idaho (Big Creek Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane encountered a downdraft during the landing flare. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2008 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Creek, Idaho · Big Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N92767 · no longer on the register · serial 18260346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a landing approach to a remote mountain turf runway. The airplane encountered a downdraft while on short final, which resulted in a sudden drop from about 15 feet, and subsequent hard landing. The landing bent the nose gear forward and damaged the firewall. The pilot made a field repair to hold the nose wheel in place by lashing the nose wheel strut back using rope and a come-along attached to the main landing gear. The pilot then proceeded to fly the airplane to an airport about 30 minutes away, where a mechanic assessed the damage and advised the pilot not to continue the flight. The pilot decided to continue the flight to his home base approximately 454 miles to the southwest. The elevation of the accident airport is 5,720 feet mean sea level (msl). The outside air temperature at the time of the accident was 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The calculated density altitude was 8,238 feet msl at the accident airport.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Not specified
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 662 hours in all; 646 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMYL Mccall ID
- Destination: KU60 Big Creek ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.